No. 22 A&M Takes Memphis in Nine, Falls to MSU

Sunday, March 6

Starkville, Miss.

10:00 AM

Texas A&M

14-5

Memphis

12-4

Memphis

Texas A&M

Mar 06, 2011 | Softball

Box Score 1 Box Score 2

By: Texas A&M Athletics

March 6, 2011

STARKVILLE, Miss. - Sophomore Meagan May hit a walk-off single as the No. 22 Texas A&M softball team (14-6) defeated Memphis, 1-0 in nine innings, before falling to Mississippi State, 7-3.

Game one against Memphis (12-4) proved to be a pitching duel. Redshirt junior Lindsey Sisk (6-2) allowed only three runners on base in the first seven innings and gave up just two hits.

The Aggies put two on the bags in the bottom of the third when Sisk drew a walk and was joined by junior Natalie Villarreal with an infield single. The second baseman had also reached in the first inning, on a walk. She advanced to second on an illegal pitch by Carly Hummel (8-1) but was left stranded.

With the teams in a scoreless tie at the end of the seventh, the game entered the eighth in an international tiebreaker. The Tigers loaded the bases but were unable to pick up a run on the strict Aggie defense. A&M ended the inning with runners on the corners and was also unable to score.

After shutting down all three batters in the top of the ninth, the Aggies came out ready to end the game. Freshman Emily Albus took her position at second base as the runner in the tiebreaker. May hit a pitch into left field, giving Albus plenty of time to slide into home plate for the walk-off run.

Hummel picked up the loss but broke her previous career record, also a Memphis softball record, with 19 strikeouts in a game. Sisk took the win for the Aggies, fanning seven batters and giving up no runs on two hits.

Mississippi State (7-10) leapt out to a 3-0 lead in the top of the first inning in game two. Courtney Nesbit sent a base hit down the left field line, scoring Ali Bainbridge and Heidi Shape before Chelsea Raines hit an RBI single to right field for the 3-0 lead.

Narrowing the gap in the top of the fourth, the Aggies drew three walks to load the bases. Freshman pinch runner Kaydee Rayburn was forced home on an illegal pitch by the Bulldogs' Kylie Vry (3-7).

Sophomore Mel Dumezich cranked a single down the left field line that sent sophomore pinch runner Lauren Schwirtlich in from third for the 2-3 run.

The Bulldogs pushed ahead 5-2 in the bottom of the fifth. Shape reached on a fielder's choice and crossed home on a throwing error. Smith ran in behind her on a bunt single by catcher Sam Lenahan.

The Aggies were unable to answer in the top of the sixth. In the bottom of the inning, MSU pinch hitter Briana Bell powered a home run down the left field line. Bainbridge tripled to right behind her and went home on a single to center by Shape for the 7-2 lead.

In the seventh inning, sophomore Sydney Shannon pinch hit and drew a walk to lead off. Albus entered to run for Shannon and advanced to second on a groundout before taking third on an error by the first baseman.

Senior Rhi Kliesing earned an RBI on a fielder's choice when Albus ran home. The inning ended with the bases loaded, however, and the Aggies fell to MSU, 7-3.

Vry earned the win for the Bulldogs, striking out a career-high 12 batters and allowing three runs in 6.2 innings pitched. Dumezich (8-4) suffered the loss. The Whiting, Ind., native fanned five batters in six complete innings of work.

Up next, A&M hosts UTSA in a midweek contest Wednesday, March 9, at 6:30 p.m. at the Aggie Softball Complex. The team will then host Mississippi Valley State, San Diego State and Louisiana Tech in the Texas A&M Invitational, March 11-13. Log on to AggieAthletics.com for more information on A&M softball.